1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a technology for executing a plurality of web applications in a web server based on a request from a terminal computer, and specifically relates to displaying messages output from the web applications on a screen of the terminal computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems have been known in which a console client is connected to an upper level computer and a command is sent from the console client to the upper level computer to execute an application at the upper level computer. The upper level computer can be a host computer, a workstation, a server or the like.
In such computer systems, it is possible that the console client causes the upper level computer to execute a plurality of applications. When a plurality of applications are to be executed, an operation window dedicated for each application is displayed on a screen of the console client, and an operator of the console client would perform some operation on the operation window to the cause the upper level computer to execute the corresponding application. Sometimes various messages are returned to the console client from the applications that are being executed at the upper level computer for the confirmation by the operator. In conventional computer systems, the messages returned from the applications are displayed in the operation window corresponding to that application. However, if a lot of operation windows are displayed on the screen of the console client and/or if some operation windows overlap on others, it is troublesome for the operator to check each operation window to check whether there is any new message.
To avoid such a trouble, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-10805, for example, discloses a method of consolidating messages output from all the applications being executed on a plurality of computer systems and displaying those messages in a single window on the console client that operates the applications. Because all the messages from all the application are displayed in one window, an operator can easily check whether there is any new message. The conventional technology represented by Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-10805 aims at displaying messages output from an upper level computer on a lower level computer.
However, recently web services have been growing as the mainstream. A web system that offers a web service includes at least one web server and at least one client that can perform HTTP communication with the web server. Many applications are installed in the web server, and the web server also hosts a website that allows execution of the applications remotely. The client includes a browser, and an operator of the client accesses the website in the web server by using the browser and executes an application installed in the web server. When there are a plurality of web servers and a plurality of clients, user authentication is performed.
It is possible that the client causes the web server to execute a plurality of applications. When a plurality of applications are to be executed, a browser window dedicated for each application is displayed on a screen of the client, and the operator of the client would perform some operation on the operation window to the cause the web server to execute the corresponding application. Sometimes various messages are returned to the client from the applications that are being executed at the web server for the confirmation by the operator. The messages can be information indicative of status or result of execution of an application. In conventional web systems, the messages returned from the applications are displayed in the browser window corresponding to that application. However, if a lot of browser windows are displayed on the screen of the client and/or if some browser windows overlap on others, it is troublesome for the operator to check each browser window to check whether there is any new message.